It is difficult to understand why anyone would buy bright yellow thickened gloop with a shelf life measured in years when this takes about ten minutes and tastes like actual fruit. Lemon, lime, mandarin — whatever your tree is throwing at you right now — the method is the same. Made in a high-speed blender with a thermometer, there’s no double boiler, no stirring for 20 minutes, and no lumps. Don’t be put off by the quantity this makes; citrus butter freezes perfectly for up to a year, so make a big batch at peak season and pull out a jar whenever you need it. We put a dollop on our breakfast mix.

We grow lots of different types of citrus trees, partly because they grow easily, have few bugs and are easy to manage and partly because I just love fresh citrus straight from the tree. You do not get mandarins or tangelos or indeed any citrus from shops that have that tang that comes from a freshly picked fruit.

I keep the trees reasonably small, pruning off the leaf miner, removing crossed branches and keeping the centres from becoming too crowded keeps the trees manageable, and in our area able to be netted. During the day the cockatoos steal the fruit, sit on the fence, eat out the seeds and throw the rest of the fruit on the ground and at night we have visits from fruit bats and possums. I have found that the fruit trees need to be netted fairly early in the season, before the fruit is ripe, because once the cockatoos have found a food tree they become very persistent and insistent and anything short of steel netting and razor wire will not entirely protect the crop.

Regular mulching, feeding and consistent watering provides us with virtually all of our citrus. If it’s not in season in our garden we tend not to buy it because they taste so much better from our trees.

Lime Butter

CITRUS BUTTER WITH OPTIONAL FINGER LIME PEARLS

Ingredients

Makes approximately 3 x 250ml jars.

  • 6 whole eggs and 6 egg yolks or 3 whole goose eggs
  • 450g white sugar
  • 150g butter, cut into small cubes
  • 550ml fresh citrus juice (lemon, lime, mandarin, or a combination)
  • Zest of your chosen citrus, finely grated
  • Finger lime pearls from 6–8 finger limes (optional)

Method

  1. Place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, butter, and citrus juice into the Vitamix. Do not add the zest or finger lime pearls at this stage.
  2. Blend for 2-3 minutes on a medium-high speed until the sugar has dissolved, everything is combined and the mix is thick, smooth, and glossy.
  3. Put a quick read thermometer in the top of the mixer, turn the speed up to high and keep mixing, when the temperature reaches 78°C it’s time to stop.
  4. Pour the mix into a wide based, heavy saucepan over low heat on a stove top. Stir constantly, with the thermometer in the pot, until the mix thickens and the mix coats the back of a spoon and a finger run down the back leaves a clear line — around 80–82°C.
  5. Stir in the zest (if using) while the curd is still hot so the oils release into the warm mixture.
  6. If using finger lime pearls, cut the finger limes in half lengthwise and press the pearls out into the curd. Stir gently to distribute — do not blend or heat further as the pearls will collapse.
  7. Storage:
    • Pour into sterilised jars. Seal and allow to cool before refrigerating for immediate use or freeze until ready to use.

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Notes

Freezing: Citrus butter freezes well for up to 12 months. Freeze in small jars or vac sealed — 200–250ml is ideal — so you can defrost just enough for a week’s use or a single recipe. Thaw overnight in the fridge. If it weeps slightly on thawing, a quick stir brings it back together.

Which citrus: Lemon gives the sharpest, most classic result. Lime is more floral and slightly more bitter. Mandarin is sweeter and milder — reduce sugar by 20g if using mandarins as the juice is naturally sweeter. A combination of lemon and mandarin works well if you want brightness without full tartness.

Zest: Use a fine micro-plane and take only the coloured part of the skin — the white pith underneath is bitter. Zest before juicing.

Finger limes: The pearls are delicate and collapse with heat, which is why they go in last. They add a burst of tart juice and a striking visual. Finger limes are seasonal — the curd is still excellent without them.

Eggs: The extra yolks (versus using all whole eggs) give a richer, more stable emulsion. The leftover whites freeze well or can go to the dogs or added to smoothies or even make meringue.

Uses: Spread on toast, scones, or crumpets. Fill tart shells. Swirl through yoghurt or cream. Use as a cake filling or flavouring in a cream cheese cheese-cake, add to smoothies – helps with the taste of whey protein powders, have on breakfast seed mix, even think about a lemon curd margarita (YUM).